Sally:The Hitman’s Mistake is considered a “clean” read, as there are no intimate or graphically violent scenes. Do Miranda and Grant deal with repressed desire? You bet. Do the villains pay consequences? Absolutely. Conflicts and attraction intensify after Miranda is jolted from inconspicuously witnessing the lives of others, to becoming a protected federal witness with a bull’s-eye on her back. After partnering with Grant to survive, she learns to act on her instincts and open her heart to love.

Joyce: What inspires your book ideas?

Sally: The “women in jeopardy” aspect pops into my brain at odd moments. The opening scene of The Hitman’s Mistake came to me when I entered a government building to fight a traffic ticket. Scanners, guards and nervous energy by day would be downright eerie in the unoccupied space at night, especially if you were alone and horrible things went down. In Virtue and Vengeance, an unscrupulous land developer emerges as a key player. In real life, our lake association thwarted plans to overbuild in a wetland area. I researched storm water run-off and pervious surfaces to present valid arguments in front of a hearing examiner. Our community worked together and prevailed.

Joyce: Is there anything interesting that’s happened to you while doing research for a book?

Sally: I’ve unearthed interesting facts during research, as I strive to be accurate. I learned why they position cattle cars at the front of a train, what the firing range is of an antique Annie Oakley Winchester, what constitutes a black blizzard and how a machine pulls fingerprints from feathers. All these scenarios are used in my upcoming books.

Joyce: Who are three romance authors who turn you into a fangirl?

Sally: I’d be willing to read pages of terms and conditions if they were written by Jayne Ann Krentz. She’s a Seattle author who supports aspiring writers. I love Cherry Adair books when I need a shot of hot, suspenseful romance. Cherry’s another local author who was instrumental in my finishing three books during her yearly challenges. My other favorite romance author is Beatriz Williams.

Joyce: Would you like to share a favorite moment from your writing career?

Sally: The Hitman’s Mistake is dedicated to a dear friend, Iris Dunki-Jacobs. She’s from the greatest generation and endured challenges during World War II that I hope we never face again. She’s a beta reader who told me the romance aspect in this book made her relive the new-love feelings of when her husband was courting her — nearly 80 years ago. She went on to tell me the story involved her to a point where her knees no longer ached. Her encouragement means the world to me.

Joyce: Do you have a pet that hangs out with you while you’re working?

Mom loves to spoil Tallulah.

Sally: Tallulah is my faithful rescued doggy and muse. Her preferred spot to snooze is under my desk. She’s an Aussie mix, and I don’t want to meet her first owner, as 10 years after adopting her, we still notice her timidity at certain things. We spoil her with swims in the lake, taking her to visit my horse and frequent walks with her buddy, a black Lab.

Joyce: Is there a TV show that you’ve recently binge-watched?

Sally: My husband and I blew through the final episodes of Longmire. Traveling to Wyoming and Montana for business and pleasure brought the realization that the sense of community I experienced growing up in Michigan still endures in small towns. My first series, Love Thrives in Emma Springs, attempts to capture in writing the vibe I recognize in that show.

Joyce: What’s your ideal scenery while you’re writing?

The view from Sally’s desk.

Sally: I’m blessed to have my office situated with a view of a lake and a wonderful, albeit wild, flower and vegetable garden. I invite other writers to join me in the peaceful and colorful setting. During warm weather, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds flit between flowers. In winter, the shrubs glisten from early morning frost.

Joyce: What are you working on now?

Sally: Soul Mate Publishing accepted book two, Virtue and Vengeance, in my Love Thrives in Emma Springs series. My wonderful editor, Sharon Roe, mentioned a possible fall release — putting me into editing mode on Corrin and Kyle’s story, two characters from The Hitman’s Mistake. Corrin’s determined to reach partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm. She allies with Kyle, a Montana country doctor, to save her reputation and his town from a powerful man from her past who demands misplaced vengeance. Upping the creep factor of a stalker watching Corrin’s every move has proven to be both fun and challenging.

Joyce: Do you have anything to add?

Sally: I’d like to encourage your readers who have a story banging about in their brains to jot down their ideas. I’ve scribbled scenes and dialogue on notecards, in my phone and on grocery store receipts. RWA provides wonderful classes and lists of local chapters who will help with the craft aspect. The writing community welcomes all, teaches and supports one another. Thanks to journalists like you, Joyce, romance thrives.

Joyce: Awww, thanks, Sally!

About The Hitman’s Mistake (Love Thrives in Emma Springs #1):

After Miranda Whitley stops crooked cops from assassinating a prominent Seattle judge, she’s next on the hit list, and her survival depends on the man she’s had one awkward encounter with—buff FBI Agent, Grant Morley. But can she find him in time?

The last person Grant Morley expects to discover on his annual horseback trip delivering supplies to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?

Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you love sizzling chemistry, determined assassins, and Montana scenery, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller.

About Sally

Multi-award-winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to create stories of women who learn to trust their inner gifts. When she’s able to elude her engineer husband and spirited sons, Sally hunkers down in her office. Tallulah, her pup, is her companion during long spells of writing, attacks on garden weeds or afternoons spent riding on the wind with her 28-year-old quarter horse. You’ll find an offer for a free segment of her latest book, The Hitman’s Mistake, on her website.